This weekend, I
was given the privilege of being a part of a short film filled with action,
drama, adventure, and……………ZOMBIES! For you readers that don’t know, one
subgenre of a movie I have ALWAYS wanted to be in is a zombie flick. Today’s
shoot first out of three definitely falls into the category of
productions I thoroughly enjoyed.
To start off my
adventure, I had to get ready by five o’clock in the morning so that I could be
in Powder Canyon by six. The distance between where I live and the destination
is about thirty miles. With this in mind, I decided that I would stay at my
relatives’ house, about 12 miles away, so that I could walk to the shoot and
not have Panda drive me at an ungodly time like this morning or have to
ask my relatives for a car. In hindsight, this was a fantastic plan. I thought
that I would not trouble anyone and I would get my exercise for the weekend.
Then we arrived…sort of…
Siri had a funny
way of bringing us to our location…of death! Six o’clock in the morning was
dark. So as we were driving down the road, Siri told us that the destination
was about half a mile away as we drove by a line of cars.
Asian: I think
that was the entrance…
Panda: Siri says
that it’s just up the hill.
Asian: Ok…
I should have
listened to my gut because when we arrived at said destination, it ended up being
the place where I would be brutally murdered. There were two small, stone
pillars on my left and the ledge of the cliff on my right. Needless to say, I
was prepared for the zombies, Jason, cannibals, anything to take me right then
and there.
Asian: Today’s
the day I finally die.
Panda: Today’s
the day we both die!
Asian: What in
the hell is this place?! Is Siri expecting us to go over the mountain?
Panda: I don’t
know, but I don’t like this!
Asian: We should
head back to where the cars were…
Panda: And you
were planning in walking in this?!
Asian: ……………
If you didn’t
know this about me, readers, I enjoy walking…sort of. I do it so that I don’t
bother people for a ride. Living in a place (my home) where everything was
basically fifteen minutes away from wherever meant four to five hours in
walking. In other words, exceptional walking distance; for me, that is.
When we went back
to the gates, where the cars were at, we noticed that they opened and a trail
of dust was floating in the air. So we went in. As Panda drove, we looked
around and took note of the haunting trees looming around us as we despaired in
the thick of night. In a way, it reminded me of the horrific Snow White ride in Disneyland.
Panda: This is
horrible! Zombies would come crawling out in this place!
Asian: I guess
this is why they chose to shoot it here. It makes sense.
Panda: This is
where people get killed! Jason could be hiding behind the trees right now!
Asian: And to
think this is what I’m going to be walking in for the next couple of
days…ha…haaa…………
We eventually
made it to the parking lot and Panda dropped me off. As we waited for things to
start rolling, the lot of us started conversing.
Leon: So where
are you from?
Asian: Alaska.
Everyone: Alaska?!
Georgia: So
that’s why you’re not freezing!
Asian: This is a
blessing in comparison to the usual heat wave.
Georgia: It’s
sixty degrees!
Asian: Again, a
blessing.
Ms. Lovegood: Wow,
I can’t believe you’re not freezing! You’re in shorts and a t-shirt and I’m all
bundled up!
In their defense,
I can understand why sixty degrees is cold. Because Winterfell is a dry area,
cold conditions don’t have a horrible affect on our bodies until it drops below
certain temperatures. Whereas Storms End has a considerable amount of humidity,
which allows for cool air to chill the surrounding area to make it feel like we
were tossed into a freezer. Eventually, the sun started to rise and the area
started to warm up.
Ms. Lovegood:
Good thing it’s cold out or else the snakes would be coming out.
IT: Actually,
rattlesnakes are commonly found in cool areas.
Georgia: Yeah, so
they can see their prey with their heat sensors.
IT: With the sun
coming out, it’s actually more likely that we’ll see them laying on the road to
take in some sunlight before they hideaway.
I had forgotten
about the existence of snakes in this region.
Leon: Mountain
lions roam around this area too, right?
IT: Yup.
And that…
Growing up in a
region where all I had to worry about were moose and the occasional bear was a
godsend. Why, you may ask? Because they’re large; I can see them from a
distance. A mountain lion on the other hand will perch in its place and ninja
itself until the perfect moment to pounce on my voluptuous, Asian spiced body.
As for the rattlesnake, I won’t be able to spot it until I unknowingly step
into its territory because it’s so small. In other words, I would take strong
and in charge over the silent assassins any day.
When the sun had
finally set in the sky, the make-up artist had finally made it to the site
after experiencing the same horrors we all faced. Needless to say, I was
extremely happy because I finally got to become the undead! But then we had to
relocate to another park because of laws and such. This park was definitely
more frightening due to the sign warning travelers of the dreaded rattlesnakes.
Fast forward to
the next day, we changed location and were in a park. At first, I though it was
going to be pleasant and that it would be a relaxing shoot. Apparently, the
park was only the setup area. The actual location was in hell.
Over the hill and
across the road, the location of our next few scenes was a barren wasteland
filled with dead plants that haven’t seen water in what seemed like centuries.
The sun was hovering over the sky as the heat intensified, dehydrating our
undead bodies. It was miserable. But as a performer, I stuck it out. Not once
did I complain, but when they offered water, you better believe that I took
them up on that, especially when they offered shade.
Toward the end of
the inferno, I noticed a molted snakeskin on the ground. My nerves skyrocketed
because all around I found holes and burrows that would be potential hiding places
for these creatures. What was especially unnerving was when they told us to go
into the bushes as our starting positions. When Apollo finally rode his chariot
over the mountain, our day had come to an end. I wasn’t needed for the final
day of shooting, but the two days I spent with these people let me create some
wonderful memories and bonds.
When Panda picked
me up from my relative’s home, we were off to Kimchi Village. And as we were
headed home, near death experience number five happened.
In my life I have
had only four near death experiences. The amusing part is that they were all
water related; drowning, drowning, drowning, and almost sliding off the road winter.
Today was different. Instead, I almost died on land.
As we’re driving
down the long winding highway, a flat piece of metal suddenly pops up out of
nowhere and crashes onto the front of the car. Panda slowed down her driving
which in turn caused the sheet to slide down underneath her car. Heroically, a
woman pulled up next to us and stopped the cars behind her.
Lady Latina: Are
you guys alright?
Asian: Yeah,
we’re fine.
Lady Latina: Ok!
Now, open your door and take out this thing!
Asian: Yup!
Luckily, it
wasn’t jammed underneath Jacob, so pulling it out was easy. The hard part was
finding a place to put it.
Lady Latina:
Where are you gonna put that?
Asian: I don’t
know, but I can’t just leave it out here for someone else to crash into it.
So I checked my
surroundings and noticed a spot on my right. What was problematic was that we
were three lanes over on the left.
Lady Latina: Tell
your friend to follow me! I’ll block traffic!
I did as she said
and so did she. She honked her horn and created a pathway for me to walk and
for Panda to follow. I set down that piece of metal where no one else would get
hurt. I didn’t have time to inspect it; to find out what it had come off of due
to Lady Latina and her gang waiting for me to jump back into Jacob. What I did
notice were the hinges on one of the sides, which meant it had fallen apart
from a vehicle; a moving van.
In the end, I
would say that I had a most adventurous weekend. As I journey through these
lands for the next couple of years, I know there will be even more amazing adventures
to come.
Sincerely,
An Asian
